Jealousy's a Dangerous Game
by AliceUnderCovers
Summary: When Rachel spots Puck with Lauren, she can't help but feel jealous. But she's not the only one. Santana does not like what's going on, and won't stand for it. But she needs Rachel's help. Rated T may go up to M later, Puck/Rachel R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee nor the characters in it

This is my first Glee fanfic bare with me. It came to me in my dreams and its starting to write itself, which is cool. I hope you like. I'll try to have the second chapter out soon but I promise nothing. Read and Review. The more reviews I get the faster the next chapter will be out…. Not a threat or bribe but I get motivated by reviews.

Rachel glared at Puck from across the hall, her eyes shooting darts at him as he flirted with Lauren. She could feel the jealousy burning in her stomach. She didn't know why, though. She had no reason to be jealous. It wasn't like she liked him, right? No, of course she didn't like him. He was Puck after all. She'd be crazy to like him. She assured herself. Still, she couldn't deny the jealousy biting at the pit of her stomach. Shaking her head, the short brunette forced her eyes off him and his new interest, hoping the jealousy would subside. It didn't. She sulked against her locker, silently asking herself where this newfound jealousy was coming from.

Rachel didn't have an answer. Sighing, she faced her locker, opened it, and gathered the books she would need for the rest of the day. She looked at the tape marks that were left over from where she had posted pictures and such relating to Finn. She closed her eyes and sighed, remembering what she used to have with Finn. She had came to school in hopes to put her plan "Win Finn Back" into action, but as she stared blankly at the locker, she didn't feel anything. All she felt was jealousy and that was even towards Finn, no, it was towards Puck. She didn't want Finn, as weird as that idea was. She just didn't want him. The fact that she didn't feel even a little bit sad as she reminisced about there past relationship was proof. Rachel cringed. This was not what was supposed to happen. She was supposed to feel something for Finn, not for Puck.

Closing her locker, Rachel was taken by surprise as she found herself face to face with the one person she did not want to see, especially not now.

"What do you want, Santana?" she groaned, looking at her watch. She had five minutes before the bell would ring.

"I saw you watching Puck flirting with that fat piece of lard," spat the feisty Latina, leaning against her hand, which was propped against the cold metal surface of the lockers. "You like him, don't you?" Rachel blushed at her question. How could Santana know this just from looking at her? She shook her head. What was she thinking? Of course she knew. It was Santana she was talking about after all. "I'll take that as a yes," she smirked.

"Why do you care?" The smaller brunette choked out hastily.

"Look, I don't care that you like him, got it?" she barked out loudly, causing Rachel to loose her footing a bit from shear shock. "All I care about is Puck not getting down and dirty with that pig."

"I don't see why you would need my help, Santana. I'm sure you could deal with this problem by yourself," Rachel was getting antsy, knowing the bell would ring at any second now, and if she didn't get a move on it, she was going to be late. She was never late to class. Never.

"I wouldn't be coming to you if I could do it myself, now would I, Man-hands," Rachel cringed at Santana's use of her horrid nick-name. "He doesn't want me," she hissed. Rachel could see a spec of sadness light Santana's eyes. "Look, other than Quinn, whom is already taken and I'm pretty sure Puck won't go after, you are the only girl hot enough to draw Puck's attention away from that thing. As much as it hurts to say that," she took a breath, just as the bell rang. Rachel was compelled to just go to class, leaving Santana mid paragraph, but she was raised to not be rude. So, as much as it killed her to be late, she stood her ground, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground. "It's a win-win. I don't have to see Puck drool over some ugly, fat pig, and you get a boyfriend. Well, that is until I steal him back," she grinned. "I mean it's not like you actually like-like him, right? You wanted Finn back, last I heard." Rachel merely nodded.

"As tempting as your offer is, I must get to class. I'm already late," the smaller girl smiled, though inside she wanted nothing more than to punch the girl standing in front of her. She had no right asking for her help. Not when she was always the one to tear her down.

"Think about it, k?" with that Santana sauntered off, swaying her hips side to side, head held high.

Rachel scurried down the hall to her next class. She was only two minutes late, but, still, walking through that door in such an untimely manner caused an immense amount of guilt to wash over her form. The hustle and bustle of the class told her that the teacher wasn't even there yet. She let out the breath she was unconsciously holding, relief filling her form. She maneuvered to the one free seat, located in far back. She could only groan when she saw who it was. Reluctantly, she took the seat. It wasn't like she had a choice. Eyes set in front of her; she took out the books and pens she needed, carefully placing them in an organized formation on her desk.

"You can't ignore me forever, Berry," Puck scooted his chair closer to her. She didn't respond, praying he'd get the memo and leave her alone. He didn't. Instead, when she didn't answer him, he faked a yawn, letting his arm rest across her shoulder. He was such a cliché. Feeling the unwanted contact, Rachel's body stiffened. "You need to relax, babe. Have some fun," he tugged her closer to him as though his actions weren't anything out of the ordinary. She guessed for him they weren't, but she wasn't used to this sort of attention, at least not from Puck.

"Noah, if you would please remove your arm from my body, we are in class, not a movie," she tried to push him off her, but he didn't budge. He just stayed where he was, his classic smirk plastered to his face. She blushed. Rachel mentally slapped herself as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She could not let his badass charms, as he put it, get to her. She was stronger than this. Still, his proximity sent shivers down her spine.

"Admit it, you can't resist the Puckster," he whispered into her ear, his teeth lightly grazing the shell.

"You're incorrigible, Noah," she finally pushed him off her, the blush that lit her cheeks now shining brighter. Noah just looked at her and grinned.

"You know you love me," he joked just as the teacher walked in.

"In your dreams," Rachel spat back, brining her focus back to the teacher. She was still blushing profusely. She hated herself for it. She was not supposed to feel this way around Puck. She was supposed to feel it around Finn. She and Finn were meant for each other; she forced herself to believe. She knew it was a lie though. She sighed and bit her lip. "Focus," she muttered to herself. She didn't want to think about it. Rachel shook her head, and but her thoughts to better use, using the class as a distraction. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe Santana had a point.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee… if I did Lauren would never exist!

A/n: thank you for the reviews and all the readers. I never expected this to be so popular. Thank you :D I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Please tell me what you think or any ideas of where it should go.

Rachel hesitantly stepped into Glee, praying that a certain Mohawk-adorned boy wasn't there yet. She had managed to avoid him the rest of the day; a task she was rather proud of. The brunette was relieved to find she was the first to get to Glee practice, taking a seat in front. Why she had expected anyone to be at Glee practice 15 minute early, she didn't know, but she was thankful she was wrong. The emptiness would give her time to think. Without Puck in her space, her thoughts were clear. She cringed at how naïve she had been to allow his "charms" cloud her thoughts. There was no way she was going to go along with Santana's plan. She was stupid for even thinking the girl may have point. And even if she did, this was Santana she was thinking about; the Latina would probably end up using her and then make her life worse tenfold.

Rachel shook her head, a small chuckle leaving her lips. No, she wasn't going to fall for neither the Santana's tricks nor Puck's boyish charms. She was going to stick to what she knew, or at least what she thought she knew. Finn and her were meant to be. She knew that. They were the power couple after all. A few speed bumps weren't going to get in their way. She wouldn't allow that. The petite brunette smiled as she regained her thoughts.

"You're too strong to fall for false hope," she whispered to herself.

"Talking to yourself, man-hands," a familiar voice snickered. "And I thought you couldn't get any weirder." Rachel glared at the ex-cheerio who was standing right in front of her, hands folded across her chest. Rachel couldn't help but notice how odd Santana looked without her cheerio uniform. She didn't look odd per say, but without that uniform of popularity, Santana appeared more vulnerable than usual. Or maybe that was Rachel's over-hopeful side talking. "I didn't come here so you could gawk at me, Ru-Paul." The Latina put a hand on her hip, her fingers tapping impatiently against the sliver of skin her shirt had left exposed.

"If you don't have any better reason to talk to me than to make-fun of me, I would appreciate you take your seat and leave me alone, thank you." The smaller brunette smiled though the fire burning inside her wanted nothing more than to slap the girl silly.

"Don't play dumb, treasure trail," Santana tapped her toe. "You know why I'm here."

"If you're talking about that plan you told me about earlier, I'm afraid I'll have to decline you're offer. Unlike you, I don't go out of my way to ruin people's lives," she politely responded.

"You and I both know that last part is a lie," the taller girl rolled her eyes. "But suite yourself, the offers always on the table." With that Santana grabbed a seat on the other side of the room just as the other members shuffled in.

Rachel wasn't surprised when she ended up sitting alone. Ever since Finn and she had broken up, sitting alone had become a norm. She sighed. She supposed it meant that Finn had been the only one who had liked her. And now that he didn't even like her enough to sit with her, she could presume no one in Glee liked her. A twinge of loneliness bit at her stomach. She ignored it. She was going to have to get used to sitting alone. She wasn't going to let her emotions get in the way of her dreams, even if that meant being hated, plus, if all ended well; she'd be back with Finn in no time. Her eyes fell from Finn to Puck, who sat next to Lauren, his eyes fixed on her profile. Even if in her heart, she knew that wasn't truly what she wanted.

"Alright guys, I have one word for you" Mr. Shue's voice echoed through the room as he encircled the word love in a heart on the white board. Brittany's hand immediately flew up, a grin lighting her face. "Britney?"

"Is it love?" she proudly answered. "Totally gonna graduate now!" she proudly shook her hands in the air, smiling at Artie.

"Valentine's day is coming up, so for this weeks lesson, I want you guys to pick a partner," Mr. Shue just quirked an eyebrow and kept going. Hearing this Rachel watched ever couple look at each other. Her eyes, though, focused on Puck, who was staring at a very uncaring Lauren. Mr. Shue continued his speech, "because you're going to sing to them what you think is the world's greatest love song." He stopped for air. "Yeah, find a song that communicates all the things that love means to you, now partner up." Rachel groaned. Who was she supposed to partner up with? She had already seen everyone pick partners, though she really only cared about what duo as much as she tried to deny it. She bit her lip, eyes shooting arrows at Puck who was currently pleading with Lauren.

The jealousy from earlier that day suddenly resurfaced, this time stronger than ever. She gnawed on her lower lip, an attempt to ignore it. It didn't work. She tore her eyes away from Puck reluctantly, placing them on Santana who was also glaring at him. She had spent all afternoon convincing herself that she was stronger than this. That she wasn't jealous. That Santana wasn't right. She wasn't though. She was weak, and for the first time, she couldn't pretend otherwise. The green monster scratching at her thoughts was too powerful. Rachel shook her head in hopes to rid herself of these silly thoughts. She didn't want Puck; she tried to reassure herself, but no matter what she told herself, the jealousy didn't fade.

Rachel bowed her head, staring blankly at her dangling feet. She wished that she was stronger than this. It wasn't like her to let her emotions get the better of her, and yet here she was, victim to her feelings. She sighed, looking over at Puck once more. She couldn't deny it. She wanted him to be singing to her and not to that sad excuse of a girl. Santana's abnormally bitchy voice knocked her out of her thoughts.

"Actually you're just a bitch," she heard Lauren retort. Rachel saw a pang of hurt touch Santana's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with anger. Maybe the Latina wasn't as strong as she seemed.

"Okay, I'm sorry, you just have eyes for my man," she glared at Lauren. Rachel heart stopped. This only confirmed her doubts surrounding Santana's motive. She was just going to use her to get Puck back for herself.

"Okay, first of all, I'm not your man," Puck shot back. Rachel grinned. Something about Puck not wanting Santana relieved her. A sudden idea sparked into her brain. What if she could throw Santana's plan back at her? What if instead of Santana using her she could use Santana? A not so innocent smirk greeted Rachel's lips.

"Enough guys," Mr. Shue cut in before the fight could escalate. "Remember what we learned about team work!" Rachel could practically hear the entire club rolling their eyes. "Alright guys, I want you to go and work on your songs. As soon as you're ready, we'll start sharing your choices with the club." He tried to focus the clubs attention back on Glee. "With that, Glee is dismissed. See you, guys tomorrow."

Rachel made sure to make eye contact with the spicy Latina before she scurried out with the rest of the club members. She had business to discuss and she would rather not chase the ex-cheerio around.

"Brittany, go on without me, I'll be there in a second," the petite brunette heard the taller one tell the dumb blonde. The blonde nodded happily and skipped out the door. "What do you want, man-hands," Santana walked up to her when they were the only two in the room.

"If I'm going to participate in your plan, I'm going to need to know what it consists of and what I have to do," she fumbled with her hands which were rested against the middle of her thighs.

"English, please?" Santana raised an eyebrow, obviously confused by Rachel's wordiness.

"I'm in." Hearing Rachel say this, Santana grinned.

"Oh, this is so on."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

A/n: sorry it took so long. I have so much going on in my life at the moment, but I'm going to make sure I update at least once a week. Probs on Sundays. Thank you for all the reviews, They really motivate me to write. Thank you so much. I hope you like this chapter… Though I think I fail at Brittany and the bitchiness of Santana. Im going to try to work harder than that.

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"What are we doing here, San?" Brittany cocked her head, a blatant look of confusion plastered to her face. Rachel groaned as she finally found the correct key, her nerves on edge as the bouncy blonde and spicy Latina impatiently waited. She could feel there eyes burning though her, the heat only leaving to judge her house. Rachel opened the door, letting the two cheerios in. She didn't quite know how it went from agreeing to Santana's plan to Santana and Brittany inviting themselves over, but it had happened. Here she was, at her house, with two of her worst enemies at her back, pretending to be nice to her. She sighed.

Sure, Rachel had imagined the day Santana and Britney came over her house, but it was never a friendly thought. Normally the day was filled with hate and fighting, Santana and Britney (sometimes Quinn) there to just make her life a living hell. Not that it wasn't already a living hell, it was. There was no doubt there.

"My room's just upstairs. Do you want anything to drink or eat?" She politely asked; her dads had taught her to be a polite host no matter the situation. Both cheerios shook their heads no. Rachel let her body relax a little. The ride to her house had been riddled with Brittany's pointless rambles, but still the tension in the car had been thick enough to cut. The tension was a product of Santana's will power dwindling as she tried her hardest to not call Rachel names. Something Rachel was very happy about, but still the tension itself had coiled her nerves tight. In the big house, now, though, the tension seemed to ease. Maybe it was the space. Rachel couldn't quite figure out why, but she was glad it had dissolved a bit. Rachel smiled and motioned the girls to follow her up the stairs. The three girls silently marched up the stairs and to Rachel's overly pink bedroom.

"Could your room get anymore pink?" Santana scoffed, nearly falling back in shock as she entered.

"I like it!" Brittany chirped. "It's like we're in a giant piece of cotton candy!" Both brunettes just rolled their eyes. Rachel stood awkwardly by her bed, watching the two girls explore her room. Not knowing what Santana wanted was driving her insane. Normally, she was the most talkative person around, but the awkward tension that was now rushing the room was leaving her speechless. What was she supposed to say when she didn't know what Santana was even doing at her lovely abode?

"Enough of his idle chit-chat. We're here to do business," Santana snapped, closing in the space between Rachel and her. "Man-hands, closet?" Rachel cringed at the nickname. She had pleaded with Santana to refrain from using them. She sighed. She knew it was too much to ask for. Rachel pointed to a small door, a full-length mirror hanging on it.

"I don't see how my clothes have anything to do with this 'plan' you keep talking about," Rachel was going to mention Santana's use of 'man-hands,' but she thought that would be pushing it. She did not need an even angrier Santana on top of this mess.

"Seeing as you can't even dress yourself, I've seen it upon myself to dress you, treasure trail. You should be happy," Santana opened the door, her eyes widening at the large walk-in closet. "This better not be all filled with your shitty clothes."

"I happen to like what I wear, thank you," Rachel retorted. She heard Brittany giggle, who was now lying on her bed, glazed eyes focused on the patterns in her ceiling.

"Well, with these," the taller brunette held up an animal-print cardigan, a look of disgust lingering on her face. "You will not catch Puck's eye." She ventured further into Rachel's closet. Rachel was tempted to follow, but being in such close quarters with the cheerio did not seem like such a good idea. "We need you looking sexy, if that's even possible, when you sing," Santana snickered at her little comment. Brittany was, however, hysterical with laughter, though Rachel suspected her laugher was the product of something else.

"I found a cat, and it's eating a shark!" Brittany laughed out, confirming Rachel's suspicions.

"Wear to sing?" Rachel ignored the blonde, a panic rising in her petite form.

"Duh, you're singing to Puck tomorrow, or have you forgot, Ru-Paul," Santana didn't even look up as she went through cardigan after cardigan. "Do you own anything else but cardigans?"

"I'm singing to Puck?" Rachel brought her hand up to her mouth. "I-I-I can't sing to Puck!" She nearly stomped her foot on the ground but controlled herself. "I don't even know what I would sing to him! You have to be joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Santana glared at her. Rachel bit her lip and shook her head. "Didn't think so. Look, the only way we are going to get Puck to go after to you is if you grab his full attention. And what better to get him to focus on you, than if you sing to him." Rachel nodded, though she could feel her skin becoming a sickly pale color. Sure, she could sing. Singing was her life, but the idea of singing to Puck just gave her the shivers. She couldn't exactly put her finger on why she felt that way. She'd sung to Finn many times before, but that was Finn. She had loved him at the time. She didn't exactly love Puck. How was she supposed to sing to him without the feelings behind it?

"I can't sing to him! I don't even know how I feel about him!" She panicked. Santana only looked amused, her hands poised at her hips.

"You can act, right?" Rachel nodded. "Then think of this as more practice." Santana smirked, going back into the depths of Rachel's closet. "Okay," she held up another cardigan. "Do you own any normal clothes?"

"Right here," Rachel maneuvered her way to the back of her closet and directed the Latina's attention to a small section hidden in the way back. She blushed looking at the forgotten section of clothing. Her daddy had bought her those on his last business trip to New York. She had very please with her daddy's present. In fact, she had loved the clothes, but her dad, the traditional dad of the family, thought the clothes were too inappropriate for school, and so she hid them in her closet. She hated to disappoint her dad. He had quite a temper and could fly off edge at any little thing that displeased him.

"Now this is what I'm talking about," Santana's face lit up as she gawked at each article of clothing she flipped though. It wasn't long before the brunette cheerio had an entire outfit displayed out next to Brittany on the bed. The Latina had picked out a pair of skinny jeans, a white camisole that had lace on the top, and a grey blazer that tied right below the bust line. To top the outfit off were a pair of grey low-top converse.

"Oo, this is cute," Brittany squealed, holding up the blazer.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Santana groaned. "Before I faint of a pink-overload, I've got to get out of here. Just come to school in that and sing. Got it?"

"What am I going to sing?" Rachel cautiously questioned the Latina.

"You'll think of something. I'm sure of it." And with that, Santana was off, leaving Rachel with her thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any music used in this chapter sadly

A/N: I apologize immensely for not having this chapter out on Sunday as I promised. I had a bit of a rough week last week, even having a 3 hour long panic attack at one point. Which is no excuse, I understand if you want to throw stuff at me. I did make this chapter longer though. So :D Thank you for reading and reviewing it really makes a difference. Hope you like this chapter. I had so many choices in my head on how to start it. I hope I didn't forget anything in it. READ AND REVIEW THANK YOU

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Rachel stared at the outfit lying on her bed. She had to admit Santana had great taste. Still, her mind was riddled with anxiety over the thought of wearing it tomorrow. If that wasn't enough, she also had the worry of singing to Puck to top off her panic. What was she supposed to sing? She kept questioning herself. She needed the perfect song. Something that screamed Noah but also wasn't so blatantly obvious, if there was such a song. Sitting beside the outfit, Rachel let her head fall into her hands. What was she to do?

Rachel groaned. Song after song sifted through her mind, but none seemed to fit. Even if one did fit, she couldn't put her finger on it if she wanted to. To choose a song, she needed to feel something, she needed to find a connection to Noah, but she didn't know Noah that way. She didn't feel that way about Noah. She bit her lip, knowing that last bit was a lie. Ever since that two-week fling they had, Rachel couldn't deny the feelings that had built up. Sure, she tried her hardest to ignore them, succeeding for the most part, but she couldn't lie to herself much longer. Her newfound autonomy wasn't going to allow it, it seemed as her feelings were starting to bubble to the surface against her best wishes.

Figuring sulking wasn't getting her anywhere, Rachel reluctantly pushed herself to her feet and over to her desk, where a gold-star covered laptop lay closed. Sliding into her pink, fuzzy chair, she carefully opened her laptop, turned it on, entered her password, and waited. As she watched the computer boot up, her mind drifted off to those two weeks spent with Noah Puckerman, the boy that was the sole reason her stomach was in a fit of anxiety, flipping and churning. Their time together had been short, but she had learned a lot about the Jewish bad-boy. She smiled. As badass as he thought he was, she knew that deep down Noah was no more than a pansy at heart, though he made sure no one saw that side of him. Rachel sighed. In those two weeks, she wasn't with Puck. No, she had been with Noah.

There was a difference between Puck and Noah, and she had been lucky enough to see it. She had been lucky enough to spend that time with Noah instead of Puck. Rachel sighed. The boy was so guarded, never letting anyone in to see his soft side, which he did have; Rachel assured herself. She felt the anxiety in her belly being washed away only to be replaced with giddiness and butterflies instead. That soft side was what she had fallen for. She fell for Noah not Puck. Hearing the computer hum, she snapped back to reality, realizing the computer was fully booted.

Rachel double-clicked on Internet Explorer, waiting for her homepage, Google, to pop-up. She smiled to herself, knowing just what she wanted to express to Noah.

RPRPRPRPRP

Rachel hesitantly stepped out of her car and into the school parking lot, pulling nervously on the messy knot that rested bellow her cleavage. She mentally cursed at herself for going along with the outfit Santana had picked out. Yes, she had to admit she looked good, and the look did sort of fit with the song she had chosen, but she still found it a little too much for her liking. She took one more look at her reflection in the car windows, tugged the white camisole down, and took a deep breath, turning around to start her path towards the school. Not looking where she was going, her thoughts preoccupied with what her fellow students will think of her, Rachel crashed into a familiar body.

"Watch where you're going, Man-hands," Santana pushed Rachel off of her, smoothing down her clothes. Rachel gulped. She hadn't even made it to the front door, and she was already getting pestered. Today was going to be a horrible day. She could just tell.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," the petite brunette curtly apologized, a fake smile glistening on her lips.

"Whatever, just watch it next time," Santana practically spat.

"If you don't have any other reason but to get in my way, I really must get going. I have some stuff I want to do before class," she politely retorted, though inside she just wanted to punch the girl. Rachel bit her lip. Classes started in 15 minutes. She was hoping to practice the song she had picked before she had to go tackle her very full schedule. With Santana here though, holding her up, it didn't look like it was going to happen.

"Just checking to see if you were wearing what I told you to wear," the Latina gave a blatantly fake smile. "Better not let me down, Treasure Trail." With that the spunky brunette turned on her heel, nose held proudly in the air and marched off. Rachel watched as a hyper Brittany ran and literally pounced on Santana. Santana only smiled and hugged her back, jokingly pretending to push her to the ground but never pushing hard enough. Rachel smiled. She always thought how Santana put up with Brittany was adorable.

Rachel shook her head from her thoughts, she still had 13 minutes before classes started; maybe if she hurried she'd still have time to practice. She scurried off, clutching a gold-starred adorned, black three-ring binder to her chest as she ran. Rachel clenched her teeth; with every stride, she could feel the stiff material of her jeans pinching at her hips and thighs. _This is why I never wear jeans;_ she rolled her eyes at the thought. Skirts were just that much easier to get around in. Rachel bit her lip, reminding herself no amount of self-abuse was going to change the fact that she was not wearing a skirt for what seemed like the very first time in her HighSchool career. She mentally jotted down to mention this to Santana.

As she reached the choir room, the five-minute bell chimed through the halls. She groaned. Practicing this afternoon's performance was out of the question. She had, of course, practiced the song in her room countless of times, memorizing each step and turn to the choreography she had thought up. Still, a panicked Rachel thought it was necessary to do a dress rehearsal; something she rarely ever did when it came down to a Glee assignment. The golden-eyed brunette presumed this need for a dress rehearsal was only a result of the task Santana had forced upon her. This need, though, would have to be left unfulfilled

Frowning at this set back, Rachel set off to her first class. As she walked, a determination kissing each stepped, she could feel the eyes on her. She just smirked. The short walk to her classroom left every student she passed with his or her jaw dropped and head turned. She didn't know whether to take this as a good thing or as a bad thing, but she didn't care, quickly deciding that, whether negative or positive, she liked the attention her new attire was gaining her.

The rest of her day went by uneventful to her happiness. Rachel smiled to herself. Instead of a day full of bullying and slushies as she had expected, the only attention she received where the ever present eyes on her. In every single class she had, the second she stepped in the door, all eyes were glued to her. Glee was no exception. The second she stepped foot into the choir room, all attention was focused on her. Rachel grinned She had quickly figured out that this attention was directly related to her new outfit. Overhearing Mercedes and Kurt discussing how shocked they were that she actually owned fashionable clothes, Rachel smirked. Maybe dressing like this wasn't so bad.

"Looking good today, Rachel!" Mr. Schue tipped his head to her as she took her seat. "Any reason for the new attire?" Rachel took a seat in the front next to Puck, who was oddly sitting in the front. She spied his guitar by the piano. He was probably going to sing today.

"Just thought I'd try a new look, something more fitting for the song I plan to sing today," she responded finally. She jumped in her spot feeling a tap on her shoulder. It was Tina holding a note out to her, her head nodding towards Santana as if to say the note was from her. Rachel smiled and thanked her, taking the note tightly into her grasp. She hastily opened the carefully folded piece of paper.

_ Puck plans to sing to Lauren after your performance. Stop him!_

Rachel read the note over and over. How was she supposed to stop him? She was about to ask Santana via note but quickly stopped herself from doing to, figuring Santana would probably just laugh and tell her to deal. The petite brunette just sighed, her eyes sneaking peaks at the well-muscled man sitting beside her. She smirked. She had the perfect idea.

"Mr. Shue, I'd like to perform my assignment." She stood from her seat.

"The stage is all yours, Rachel." He nodded taking a seat with the rest of Glee club.

"This song goes out to a fellow Jew I've had my eyes on," she winked at Noah. He just smirked. Rachel brought her eyes up to Santana for reassurance. She took the large grin she was wearing to be a good sign. Rachel took a large breath and nodded at the band to begin. She counted out the beat as a mixture of guitar and piano licked the air, her fingers daintily tapping out the rhythm against her hip. _Here it goes, all or nothing, _she thought, and with that, she opened her mouth to sing.

**Baby, whatcha doing today**

**What are you doing later?**

**I don't know my way through a maze**

**Of gray skyscrapers**

**But I'm willing to learn**

**If you want me to, I'll stay just where I am**

**But I promise just to follow where I land**

**You can take my word**

**For that"  
**

As she sang, she could feel her body loosen. She made sure for the most part as she sang; her eyes were locked with a certain Jewish football player. She grinned as he smiled back at her. She took a deep breath and as the choreography called for, she sauntered over to the boy only to stand behind him, an arm draped over his shoulder. Her eyes were filled with a devilish lust.

**You are my Manhattan from the sky**

**You look so neat and tidy when I'm way up high **

**But I know your streets are lined with a fine mess inside **(she winked and ruffled his Mohawk at this line)

**I wanna come down and walk around your mind"**

Rachel dragged her arm across his shoulders as she walked back to the stage, only to turn her head and wink half way from where she was heading.

**Daisies, once upon an old daydream**

**That's what you gave me**

**Out on the corner of Broadway and 48th street**

**On a rainy afternoon**

**Well I could start discovering your world**

**And I would make a damn good city girl**

**Things would start to bloom**

**I'm sure"**

With every word she sang, the choreography flowed flawlessly. Rachel couldn't be happier with how her performance was going. From the corner of her eye, she could see a pleased Santana nodding her head and smiling as though secretly gloating about how well her plan was going. She gave a quick nod in return. An action duly noted by her audience.

**You are my Manhattan from the sky**

**You look so neat and tidy when I'm way up high**

**But I know your streets are lined with a fine mess inside**

**I wanna come down and walk around your mind"**

She braced herself for the final verse, taking a deep breath. Rachel stood directly in front of Noah now, hands clutched at her chest as she belted out the song to him.

**I know you want me to see it; don't lie to me**

**So why you gotta go be so shy to me?**

**I ain't buying the false anxiety**

**Let your fortress fall**

**What is it gonna take to get you there?**

**If fear was money, you'd be a millionaire**

**All alone in a leather swivel chair**

**Counting stacks of gold**

**You are my Manhattan from the sky**

**You look so neat and tidy when I'm way up high**

**But I know your streets are lined with a fine mess inside**

**I wanna come down and walk around**

**You are my Manhattan from the sky**

**You look so neat and tidy when I'm way up high**

**But I know your streets are lined with a fine mess inside**

**I wanna come down and walk around your mind"**

As the song came to an end, she found herself in Noah's lap. His arms quickly darted up so that one arm was draped across her lap while the other lay on her waist. This was not part of the choreography. Rachel didn't care though. The adrenaline beating through her veins masked all of her prior anxieties. This was a good thing seeing as what she did next.

"Liked what you saw?" she huskily whispered into the young man's ear. He simply nodded, at a complete loss of words. "Good." She smirked. "Sing to me Monday, and maybe you'll see more." She could feel him gulp as she nibbled on his earlobe. "Just think about it," she winked. Rachel slipped from his grasp, letting his hands linger on her body for just a second before she smirked at him and made her exit, leaving Noah in a state of shock.

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A/N: Song is Manhattan From the Sky by Kate Voegele


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee sadly.**

**A/N: sorry this took so long. I was having a bit of writers block. I know where I wanted to go, but I didn't know how to write it. I apologize. I guess the Sunday update thing was just my wishful thinking. Anyway, I was going to get it out yesterday as I watched Glee to get Santana and Brittany right, but (Spoilers) Santana FINALLY broke down and confessed her feelings to Britt Britt. New emotional Santana did not make a good back bone for the fierce and aggressive, normal Santana I was going for, so it took a little longer to get out as I wanted to get the girl's ego perfectly. Thank you my reviewers and readers! Your praise makes this fanfic worth writing! Enjoy!**

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Rachel scurried to her car, stopping only when she nearly ran into the silver Prius. Chest heaving slightly, she leaned her head against the tinted windows. She didn't know why she ran. Perhaps she didn't want to face Puck when he still sang his heart out to Lauren. She sighed. It was more she didn't want to face the fact that she had taken her performance a little too far for nothing. Rachel cringed. What had come over her? She had gone into Glee with a plan to catch Puck's attention, not a plan that involved blatantly sitting on his lap and flirting. How was she supposed to show her face in Glee now? She just embarrassed herself into no end. She could already hear the insults. God, how was she going to face Santana?

Rachel quickly unlocked her car and got in, refusing to let herself think of the devilish Latina that had gotten her into the mess. Before she could buckle up, let alone start the car, a persistent short pattern of vibrations echoed through her purse. A text message. She rifled through her purse and took her cell phone out. A frown immediately greeted her face. It was Santana.

**who knew u had it in ya, man hands Im actually impressed**

The brunette read the message over and over again. It was the closest Santana had ever come to a compliment, and although she should have seen it as a good thing, Rachel didn't know what to think of it. Her thumb lingered on the reply button. What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to respond? She leaned back in her seat. She never was good at comebacks, well, at least comebacks that required a 200-word limit. It took her a good five minutes before her thumb actually pressed down on the button. By this time, she was sure anyone passing would be wondering what she was doing just sitting in her car staring at her phone.

**There's a lot you don't know about me. ;) So did it work?**

She let out a breath she had been unconsciously holding. She hated how nervous the ex-Cheerio made her, but she knew after the years of torture the girl had brought her, it was only normal that she felt nervous being in a cohort with the girl. Her phone vibrated, waking Rachel from her thoughts.

**Did it ever? Me n brit will tell u more at ur house. **

Rachel wanted nothing more than to correct Santana's grammar but decided against it, instead closing her phone, tossing it into her purse, starting her car, and heading off to her house. The drive home was silent, no radio, no self-dialogue, just Rachel and her thoughts. The girl couldn't help but smile to herself. Knowing that her performance had been a success had lifted her spirits tenfold. She could barely sit still in her seat from her excitement and anticipation. She couldn't wait to find out what happened after she had left.

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"Get ready Berry, we're going to the mall," Santana barged through the door that Rachel was so gingerly holding open. A tall blonde followed quietly behind, a gaping smile kissing her face.

"Good to see you too, Santana." Rachel grumbled, closing the door. She turned around to find Santana facing her, hand poised on her hip. Brittany had left her side. Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel could see the girl happily looking at the pictures that adorned the walls.

"So you ready or not, Treasure Trail?" the petite brunette cringed. No matter how many times she heard the insults, the nicknames, they never failed to sting. This time was no exception. She bit her lip, swallowing a lump of anger and hurt that was quickly building.

"I thought we were going to discuss Glee?" The Latina rolled her eyes.

"We can do that in the car," Rachel merely nodded. "You, chika, are long due for a make over," Rachel opened her mouth to protest. She thought she had done a pretty damn good job at the sexy thing, even though it had been Santana who had picked out her entire outfit. It wasn't like she needed clothes. She had that one section that the two ex-cheerios approved of. "Do I have to tell you twice? Get a move on; Brit and me will be waiting in my car. Don't keep us waiting," Santana pushed passed Rachel who was nodding blankly, unable to keep up with the feisty ex-cheerio.

"She's just jealous," Brittany smirked as she skipped up to Rachel. "You were totally hot," the blonde kissed the girl's cheek. The girl hopped away and out the door. Rachel felt a blush creep up her cheeks, her jaw slack with shock at what had just happened. Her mouth quickly regained function to form a smile. She had always liked Brittany. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body. Rachel scurried upstairs and grabbed her purse and other belongings she would need. Her parents wouldn't be back from their business trip for another few days, so she didn't even bother to write a note, something she would normally be required to do if they were there. The golden-eyed girl was more than glad her parents weren't home, though she missed them terribly. Their absence meant she didn't have to awkwardly explain why she was spending so much time with the girl who made her time at high school a living hell.

"Took you long enough," Santana scoffed as Rachel got in the backseat of the Latina's red Ford Mustang. Brittany hadn't even noticed her appearance as she danced in her seat to some pop song the brunette couldn't put a name to.

"It's not like you gave me any warning!" Rachel shrieked as the Latina slammed on the gas, quickly navigating out of Rachel's driveway and into the empty streets of her neighborhood. Rachel's nails dug into the leather seats, whispering prayers under her breath. "Slow down!" she demanded as they neared the main roads where the traffic was greatly increased. Santana chuckled but obliged. "You could have gotten us killed!" The car came to an abrupt halt as they reached a red light.

"Live a little, Berry! What's the point in living if you aren't going to have some fun?" Santana turned to face her, quirking an eyebrow as she did.

"I had so much fun when Puck sang!" Brittany chirped in. Rachel's stomach dropped, her worst nightmare coming true, well not her worst nightmare, that would involve losing her voice, but this was pretty close. She knew it was too good to be true. She cursed herself. Santana probably was taking her to the mall where the entire Glee club was waiting to laugh at her. She bowed her head in embarrassment. How could she have been so naïve and believed Santana? How had she let herself believe her worst enemy?

"I thought you said it was successful?" Rachel managed to choke out. She could feel the world closing in on her.

"And what makes you think you weren't?" A devilish grin was plastered on Santana's face.

"Santana," Brittany whined, tugging on the taller brunettes jacket clad shoulder. Rachel was glad the conversation had been interrupted. She could tell by the grin licking Santana's lips that the girl was playing with her. Fear of being further humiliated radiated stronger through the petite singer. "Are we going to the duck park? I forgot to bring the hat he wanted!" Rachel expected the Latina to roll her eyes but instead the feisty girl just smiled.

"Not today, Brittany, maybe while we're at the mall we could buy him a matching bow tie," the kindness in the ex-Cheerio's voice surprised Rachel. _Maybe Satan has a heart after all,_ she thought, unable to withhold a smile that was greeting her lips, a direct result of the interaction she had just witnessed.

"I think he'd like that," the blonde chirped happily, returning to her original position where she continued t dance to the teen bop music that was still blasting through the car.

"You never answered me, Treasure Trail." Rachel's stomach flipped. She had hoped Santana would have forgotten their previous conversation. She sighed. She knew her luck wouldn't allow that. It never did. Ever since she could remember, she never had luck on her side. Karma hated her. No nice deed goes unpunished was a motto she had quickly altered to fit her life. No matter how nice or how good or how hard she tried, she never had luck on her side. If something bad could happen, it would happen, no matter how many good luck rituals she recited.

"I thought the goal was to get him not to sing to… Lauren," she hesitated on saying the girl's name. It wasn't that she had anything against the girl. In fact, the girl had done nothing to offend her. She was neutral when it came to Lauren alone. She hesitated because she had anticipated a nasty remark or reaction from Santana. Rachel was relieved when the girl merely made a menacing face and mumbled a few choice phrases. "From what Brittany had said," she knew Brittany wasn't exactly a reliable source, but it was all she had to go on. "It's obvious that he did sing to Lauren, and thus my performance was unsuccessful, which is unfortunate to say the least. I did think it was one of my best given I'm not used to flirting and using my sex appeal to gain attention. I'm sure-"

"Shut it, midget," Santana snapped, maneuvering through the mass of cars to find a spot in the fast lane, though Rachel didn't think the car could go much faster. It was already pushing 70 MPH, and the noises it was making were less than comforting.

"How old is this car?"

"Don't change the subject," Rachel could hear the anger boiling in Santana's words. She closed her mouth promptly. She wanted to live, and she knew if she pressed Santana's buttons anymore, intentionally or not, there was a fair chance she would not leave this car in one piece. "I hate to say it, Berry, but you were sexy out there," Rachel smiled at the compliment. "And you definitely caught Noah's eye."

"But-" she wanted to interject, stating that she had obviously not as the boy had sung to Lauren, but a nasty glare from Santana had her mouth zipped closed once more.

"Too bad you didn't stay," she chuckled. "You should have seen his face! I swear it took him a good five minutes before he could even close his mouth."

"Finn came!" Brittan squeaked out. Rachel's eyes bulged a bit, but she wasn't very shocked. She always knew the boy had a problem when it came to ejaculating. She still remembered the first kiss they shared when he bolted off, his tell-tale-face clearly giving him away. Rachel sighed. She didn't know how she let herself fall for him and his childish gimmicks and lack of sex appeal altogether. She supposed she had been desperate at the time.

"That was hilarious," Santana remarked.

"But he did sing to Lauren, right? So obviously I wasn't one-hundred percent successful," Rachel commented.

"You remember when you sang that really offensive song at duets?" Rachel nodded, making sure Santana could see her doing so in her rearview mirror. She knew it would probably be easier to vocalize her acknowledgement, but she knew the less she spoke the happier –if Santana could even be happy– Santana would be. "Let's just say, the song Puck sang not only warranted him a slap so hard from Lauren that it landed him on the ground, but Mr. Schue was so furious that he's requiring Puck to redo the assignment." Rachel's jaw dropped for the millionth time that car ride. "I didn't know Mr. Schue had it in him, but man, when he's angry, you do not want to be in his way." As she said this, the car pulled into the very packed parking lot of the Lima Mall.

"Santana, can we go to the pet store? I need to buy a diary for my cat, so then maybe she'll stop reading mine," Brittany innocently asked, each word void of humor but filled with sincerity and truth. Both brunettes just rolled there eyes and smiled as the made there way to the mall.

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A/N: Any ideas for what Puck should sing? Should I do a mall chapter or go straight to when they get back to Rachel's house? Ideas welcome, I'm all ears.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry this chapter is so short. I've been going through a lot of drama lately in my own life that has slowed my writing to barely a walk. It seems Quinn and me may just share something in common ;) hopefully not but eh. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting too long, so here's half a chapter to lick you're curiosity. I warn you, you're questions will only get more numerous after this half, but the second half, will have answers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee

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Rachel stood tongue-tied in the middle of the food court, subtly hiding behind one of the support beams. She clutched a phone to her chest, its speakers cackling on speakerphone though no voice was coming out of it. She bit her lip. Not one second after the three of them had stepped foot in the mall via the food court entrance had Kurt and Mercedes immediately spotted them. Well, not Rachel, apparently the mass of people entering and exiting the mall combined with her short stature had managed to keep her hidden. Rachel sighed, _or maybe they purposively ignored you?_ A wave of sorrow bit at her body, but she quickly shook it off. Rachel looked down at her phone, and back to the table where Santana and Britney were just taking their seats.

Per request, Rachel had managed to "persuade" Santana to call her and keep her phone on speaker throughout the conversation as to let the shorter brunette eavesdrop. It hadn't taken much to get the Latina to do so, either. Rachel held her head high at the memory of her small triumph. Though she'd like to think her triumph was the product of her brains, but she knew it also was a result of Santana being so stunned at the Diva. The Latina had made it obvious at the time that she didn't think Rachel had it in her to come up with such a devilish plan. Rachel smiled at the thought, but was quickly rattled out of her head by the sounds of voices coming from her chest where she had her phone perched.

"Can you believe Rachel's performance today?" Mercedes all too loud voice blasted through her cell phone. Rachel's stomach dropped. She knew this was coming. It had been the purpose of having Santana's phone there. She wanted to hear this. She wanted opinions from people other than Santana and Brittany. Not that she didn't appreciate their thoughts, she did. She just didn't know if she could believe anything that came out of the two ex-cheerios mouths, especially with Brittany's tendency to say things that didn't always make sense. And so here she was, listening intensely to her phone, all for the opinions of her peers, well peer as Kurt wasn't technically there for the performance. She could have just gone with the two girls and asked herself, but part of her knew, that if she went straight to the source, instead of receiving opinions she'd just end up the butt of a joke which would then lead to a heated argument. Something she was trying to avoid.

"It was rather interesting to say the least," Santana's husky voice vibrated through the phone, in turn vibrating against Rachel's chest.

"I knew the Diva could do ballads, but man, who knew she could do that!" Rachel eyed the enthusiastic African American speak. Kurt, well dressed as always, was obviously lost. She could see it in his eyes.

"As much as I love gossip, this diva will be back," Kurt bowed as he stood and left. Rachel's heart nearly stopped when she realized he was heading in her direction. She scrambled to hit the end button on her phone, but in her scramble dropped it only for a much paler hand to pick it up and end the call she had so hastily failed to do. "If you're going to eavesdrop, you might want to find a better hiding place." The open-gay singer chirped placing the phone in her hand.

"I don't know what you are talking about, I was just standing here while I wait for my friend to get here," she lied, though a pink blush of truth was rising to her cheeks.

"For such a good actress, you would think thee Rachel Berry would be able to lie," he laughed, embracing her tightly in his arms. At first the small brunette tensed, unused to such affection, but she quickly returned the hug, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders, a smile brightening her face. "So, are you going to tell me why you are hiding here, clutching your phone like you'll die without it?" Kurt pulled away, a playful smirk kissing his lips.


End file.
